Compressible infusion package



A g- 1964 H. o. IRMSCHER COMPRESSIBLE INFUSION PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet l F/G'Jb Original Filed May 24, 1961 FIG. la

A TTOR/VEYJ' Aug. 11, 1964 H. o. IRMSCHER COMPRESSIBLE INFUSION PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 24, 1961 United States Patent 3,143,834 COMPRESSIBLE INFUSION PACKAGE Hans 0. Irmscher, Elmont, N.Y., assignor to National Tea Packing Company, Inc., Long Island City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application May 24, 1961, Ser. No. 112,250, now Patent No. 3,092,242, dated June 4, 1963. Divided and this application Aug. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 215,934 9 Claims. (Cl. 5314) This invention relates to a compressible infusion package, and more particularly to a compressible tea bag package and to a method of producing the same. This application is a division of application Serial Number 112,- 250, filed May 24, 1961, now Patent No. 3,092,242.

It has been proposed to combine a tea bag with a Cover member formed with wings which may be folded over the tea bag to engage the faces of the same and which may be pressed between ones fingers to cornpress and squeeze the tea bag for the purpose of expelling residual fluid therefrom after an infusion step. Tea bags are commonly made with suspending strings which function as a means for suspending and holding the bag for the act of immersion and withdrawal of the bag from the tea cup. It has been suggested or proposed to so associate the cover member with a string suspendable tea bag so that the cover normally embraces the dry tea bag, is withdrawn therefrom to serve as a handhold of the suspended tea bag during the infusion step and is then returned in position over the tea bag upon withdrawal from the tea cup for the compression step.

The prime object of my present invention relates to the making of a compressible tea bag of this type, in which the tea bag, the cover member and the suspending string are combined to produce a composite tea bag package, having the following structural and functional properties and uses:

1) In the composite package, the cover member forms a wrapper embracing the bag; and the string is wound about and encircles the assembly of the tea bag and wrapper-cover and is then anchored to the same to form a means for firmly tying the wrapper to the tea bag, with the result that a unitary firmed-up package is produced highly serviceable for box-packaging handling;

(2) In the manner of producing the package, by applying the wrapper-cover and winding the string thereabout and anchoring the string thereto, the dry infusion contents of the tea bag are so redistributed as to result in the production of a flat, as Well as firmed-up, tea package, which in its flattened form is highly desirable for the most efficient box packaging and transportation use;

(3) The suspending string is so anchored to the package assembly that it may be readily detached from its anchored position by a simple pull applied to the end of the string, upon which the tea bag may be dropped into the tea cup with the cover serving as a handhold for the bag in its infusion step, the cover then being capable of being returned in position to act as the compression member.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing objects and such objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention relates to the compressible infusion package and to the method of making the same which is sought to be defined in the appended claims, taken together with the following specification and the accompanying drawings,

inwhich:

FIGS. 1:: and 1b are opposite face views of the completed compressible infusion package of the present invention showing the same in its closed package form;

Patented Aug. 11, 1964 'ice FIG. 2 is a perspective view depicting the manner of opening the package for use;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view depicting the positioning that the parts of the package assume during an infusion step;

FIG. 4 is a view of the elemental apparatus employed in the process of producing the compressible tea bag package;

FIG. 5 is a view of the sheet material employed in making the Wrapper-cover for the package;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view shown to an enlarged scale of a part of the elemental apparatus shown in FIG. 4 taken in cross-section in the planes of the lines 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is also a fragmentary view shown to an enenlarged scale of a part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 77 in FIG. 4.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, and first to FIGS. 1a to 3 thereof, the compressible infusion package of my present invention comprises an infusion such as a tea bag T, a suspending string S attached to an end such as to the top of the tea bag T and a flexible cover member C folded over the said top end of the infusion bag and defining two wings w and w engaging the faces f and f of the infusion bag. The said string is attached to the top end of the tea bag preferably by being stapled thereto as at 10, and the said string is loosely threaded through an orifice 12 in the fold 14 of the cover member C, the said cover member being also provided with a slit 16 across its fold spaced from said orifice.

To form the package, the string S is wound about and circles the cover member C and the infusion bag T, the cover member then forming a wrapper for the tea bag, and the free end 18 of the string S is drawn into the slit 16 in the cover member C, thereby firmly tying the wrapper-cover to the tea bag and thereby detachably anchoring the string to the package. The free end 18 of the string is also provided with a finger tab 20 attached thereto in a position above the part of the string which is detachably inserted in the cover slit.

In this composite package, as depicted in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, the cover member forms a wrapper embracing the faces of the bag; and the string wound about and encircling the bag-cover assembly and anchored in the fold-slit of the cover forms a means for tightly and firmly typing the wrapper to the tea bag, with the result that a unitary firmed-up package is produced. As will be further shown below, the parts of the package are so assembled in the process of producing the same, that the dry infusion contents of the tea bag, which normally tend to gravitate to the tea bag bottom, are uniformly redistributed in the bag, resulting in the production of not only a firmed-up but also of a flattened tea package. The integrity of the thus produced package is maintained in the steps of boxpackaging a group of such tea bag packages, thereby enabling a uniform and compact assembling of the same in a box, and also in the subsequent steps of transporting the same to the ultimate purchaser since the dry tea contents, in the thus compacted packaged condition, is prevented from being shaken up with migratory results, in the movements and vibrations to which the box-package is normally subjected.

FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings depict the manner of handling the package for consumer use. The package is opened by grasping the finger tab 20 between the fingers of one hand and by then simply exerting a slight pull applied to the free end 18 of the string S, thereby freeing this string end from the friction grip of the fold-slit 16, the fingers of the other hand at the same time holding the cover-wrapper C, all as depicted in FIG. 2 of the Upon withdrawal of the tea bag from the. tea cup the finger tab 20 is then again grasped between the fingers of the user andthe cover C is then returned toits position with its wings w and overlying the faces of the tea bag, the wings being then compressed between the users fingers for compressing and squeezing the tea bag to expel the residual fluid therein, 7

In FIGS. 4 to 7 of the drawings I show thetmethod of the present invention for making the compressible infusion package. Considered in its generic aspects, and as best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the method comprises the steps of attaching at one station, designated as I, a string S to the top end of aninfusion bag, such as the tea bag 1, moving said bag, with said top end forward, together with the attached string S to a second station, designated as H, at which is positioned a flexible member which is to form the cover C, the said flexible member being provided with an orifice 12 and a slit 14 (as best shown in FIG. of th drawings), then pulling the free section of said string S through said orifice at said section station II by means of a looper 2 2, continuing the movement of. said bag T, end forward, into said flexible member at the orifice and slit thereof, thereby folding said member thereat over the two faces of the bag, then continuing the movement of said bagand the folded member assembly through subsequent stations designated as III and IV, while holding the free section of said string S, this movement being accomplished by rotating the said assembly about or around said string, thereby winding the said string about and encircling said assembly and then drawing the end portion 18 of said string S at the station IV through the slit in the fold of the. cover member C. Thereafter at a station, designated as V, where the assembly'from station 1V is deposited, the terminal tab 20 is attached to the. string end 18. e a

It may be noted at this point that in the sequential steps of'the described methodthe bag T is rotated, in the package forming process, from a position p at station I to a position 11 at station IV, during which rotation the dry tea contents of the bag, normally gravitated to the bag bottom, are redistributed, and under the pressure of the wrapper and string parts, whereby the bag is changed from a bulbous condition to a uniformly flattened condition as depictedin FIG. 4 of the drawings, with the result, as above stated, that not only is there obtained a firmed-up but also a flattened tea package, enablingthe advantages in box packaging and in the maintenance of the integrity of the individual tea packages above referred to to be attained.

The described method .is a continuous method of making the compressible infusion package, the steps of which will now be described more in detail.

The string material 24 for forming the individual strings S are fed from a continuingsupply' source or spool 26. The tea bags T held by grippers (not shown) are deposited on a carrier wheel 28 which is intermittently rotated in the direction of the arrow 30.about a central axis defined by the shaft 32, and when atea bag reaches the position shown in FIG. 4, the grippers move the tea bag to. the station I where the string material 24 is attached by means of a staple to the tea bag end. The string material is then cut or severed by means of the cutters '34, after which the bag T' is returned to the carrier wheel 28,the movement of the bag from and to the carrier wheel being indicated by the double arrow 36'. Just prior 4 to the string severing operation the string S of the next preceding bag T is engaged by fingers 38.

In the next step of the process the bag T with its attached string is moved to station II by the rotation. of the carrier wheel 28. The fingers 38 are then moved with the gripped string S from the full line position to the dotted line (retracted) position shown in FIG. 4, the full cycle of movement of the fingers 38 being indicated by the double arrow 40. In the retracted and thus held position of the string S the looper 22 (see also FIG. 6) is moved upwardly through the orifice 12 of the cover material C, engages the string S and is then moved downwardly to a retracted condition, thereby pulling the string S through the said orifice, the looper in this operating being moved between the full and dotted line positions shown in the drawings.

During the movement of the bag from station I to station 11, the material for forming the flexible cover C is fed from a continuing, supply source (reel) 42 by means of feed rollers 44 to the station II and is severed by means of the cutters 46 along the line 48 (see FIG. 5).

In the next step of the process the bag T, on the carrier wheel 28, is moved, end forward, into the now severed flexible cover member C at the orifice and slit thereof, thereby folding said cover member C about a fold (which includes the orifice and the slit) over the end of the bag T, the bag now with the two wings of the cover engaging the faces thereof moving from station II to station III. In this movement the bag and cover assembly is engaged between a set of interior plates 59, 5t) and a set of exterior plates 52, '52 (see FIG. 6) the bag and cover assembly moving in the spaces 54, 54 between the two sets of plates and being confined by the walls of these spaces.

In this movement the string S, releasably held by thelooper 22 is frictionally engaged by tension disks 56' mounted on one of the interior plates 50 (see particularly FIG. 6), the string being thereby frictionally (and slidably) restrained by the tension disks. In this movement the string S is laid over one side of the bag and cover assembly as clearly shown in FIG. 4.

In the next step of the process the assembly thus far produced is transferred to another rotatable carrier 58 rotatable in a direction opposite to that of carrier 28,-as indicated by the arrow 60. The carrier 58 rotatable about an axis defined by the shaft 62 carries sets of gripper fingets 64 and 66 pivotally oscillatable on the carrier 58 about shafts 68 and 79 respectively (see FIG. 7), thesaid fingers being movable from a closed condition at station III to an open position at station IV. In the finger closed position at station III the embryo package assembly produced is transferred from the carrier wheel 28 to the carrier 58, the parts at this stage of the step being best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. Referring to FIG. 7 it will be noted that the body of the bag T, just released from the space between the interior and exterior plate sets is in a flat condition with the tea contents'uniformly distributed and with the wings of the cover C firmly in contact with the faces of the bag T, the string S adding its effect by exerting a pull on the outer face of the embryo assembly.

In the next step of the process the embryo bag assembly is' moved by the carrier 58,-held between the fingers 64 and 66 from station III to station IV. 'During this movement the string S is engaged by'a second set-of tension disks 72 fixed to an extension 74 on one of the exterior plates 52; and as the embryo assembly is rotated from the a full line to the dotted line position shown in FIG, 4,

thereby drawing the string end into the'slit 16 and firmly anchoring the string in said slit at the cover fold.

In the next step of the process the fingers 64 and66v are oscillated to their open position (as shown at station IV) and the now nearly completed assembly descends to station V. At this station adhesive tab material 80 fed from a continuing supply source is severed into sections 82 which are folded and applied to the string ends 18 to form the finger tabs 20.

The compressible infusion package of my present invention, the method of making the same, and the uses and advantages thereof will, it is believed, be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be further apparent that changes may be made in the design of the package and in the steps of the method of making the same without departing from the principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. The continuous method of making a compressible infusion package comprising attaching at one station a suspending string to one end of an infusion bag, moving said bag, with said end forward, and the attached string to a second station at which is positioned a flexible member provided with an orifice and a slit, pulling the free section of said string through said orifice at said second station, continuing the movement of said bag, end for- Ward, into said flexible member at the orifice and slit thereof, thereby folding said member thereat over said bag end and forming a cover having two wings engaging the faces of said bag, then continuing the movement of said bag and folded member assembly through subsequent stations, while holding the free section of said string, by rotating the said assembly about said string, thereby winding the said string about and encircling the said assembly, and then drawing the end portion of said string through the slit in the fold of said member.

2. The continuous method of making a compressible infusion package comprising stapling at one station a suspending string to one end of an infusion bag, moving said bag, with said end forward, and the attached string to a second station at which is positioned a flexible sheet provided centrally with an orifice and a slit, pulling the free section of said string through said orifice at said second station, continuing the movement of said bag, end forward, into said sheet at the orifice and slit thereof, thereby folding said sheet thereat over said bag end and forming a cover having two wings engaging the faces of said bag, then continuing the movement of said bag and folded sheet assembly through subsequent stations, while holding the free section of said string, by rotating the said assembly about said string, thereby winding the said string about and encircling the said assembly, then drawing the end portion of said string through a slit in the fold of said member, and then attaching a finger tab to the free end of said string.

3. The continuous method of claim 1 in which the string is fed from a continuing supply source and the string is severed near the point of its attachment to a bag at the first station after a previous bag has been moved with its attached string to the second station.

4. The continuous method of claim 3 in which the string section between the first and second stations is gripped just prior to the severing of the string and thus gripped is then moved to a position for being pulled through the orifice of the flexible member.

5. The continuous method of claim 1 in which the flexible member is fed from a continuing supply source and is severed therefrom at the second station.

6. The continuous method of claim 1 in which during the rotation of the assembly about the string, the said string is held by being drawn through a frictional gripping element.

7. The method of making a compressible infusion package which comprises the steps of attaching a suspending string to one end of an infusion bag, threading the free end of the string through an orifice in a flexible member, folding said member at its orifice over the said end of the infusion bag and forming two wings of a cover engaging the faces of the infusion bag, winding the said string about and encircling the assembly of said cover member and infusion bag, and then drawing the end portion of said string through a slit in the fold of said cover member thereby firmly tying the cover member to the bag and detachably anchoring the string in said cover member.

8. The method of making a compressible infusion package which comprises the steps of stapling a suspending string to one end of an infusion bag, threading the free end of the string through an orifice in a flexible member, folding said member at its orifice over the said end of the infusion bag and forming two wings, the said member having a length such that the two wings embrace the faces of the infusion bag, winding the said string about and encircling the assembly of said member and infusion bag, then drawing the end portion of said string through a slit in the fold of said member detachably anchoring the string in said member, and then attaching a finger tab onto the free end of said string.

9. The method of making a compressible infusion package which comprises the steps of attaching a suspending string to one end of an infusion bag, threading the free end of the string through an orifice in a flexible member, moving said infusion bag, with said end for- Ward, into said member at its orifice thereby folding said member at its orifice over the said end of the infusion bag and forming two wings engaging the faces of the infusion bag, then rotating the assembly of said member and infusion bag about said string thereby winding the said string about and encircling the assembly of said member and infusion bag, and then drawing the end portion of said string through a slit in the fold of said member detachably anchoring the string in said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

7. THE METHOD OF MAKING A COMPRESSABLE INFUSION PACKAGE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF ATTACHING A SUSPENDING STRING TO ONE END OF AN INFUSION BAG, THREADING THE FREE END OF THE STRING THROUGH AN ORIFICE IN A FLEXIBLE MEMBER, FOLDING SAID MEMBER AT ITS ORIFICE OVER THE SAID END OF THE INFUSION BAG AND FORMING TWO WINGS OF A COVER ENGAGING THE FACES OF THE INFUSION BAG, WINDING THE SAID STRING ABOUT AND ENCIRCLING THE ASSEMBLY OF SAID COVER MEMBER AND INFUSION BAG, AND THEN DRAWING THE END PORTION OF SAID STRING THROUGH A SLIT IN THE FOLD OF SAID COVER MEMBER THEREBY FIRMLY TRYING THE COVER MEMBER TO THE BAG AND DETACHABLY ANCHORING THE STRING IN SAID COVER MEMBER. 